Guest Speaker Reflection

Chaplaincy is about listening, which is one way to walk humbly with our God.  As soon as someone walks into a hospital, loss is suffered.  There may be a loss of independence, a loss of dignity, a sense of loss of choice, and even a loss of sleep!  Losses such as these result in spiritual distress and by actively listening to patients and their stories, often patients will experience relief, feel heard and cared for, and can find meaning in their experience.  So, as you meet with friends and family this week, practice listening.  Listen without judgment and listen without thinking about what you will say in response.  Your listening may give someone a release they have been longing for.  They may feel heard and seen in a way that is quite rare in these times.

Kathy Brown

Guest Speaker Reflection

Paul's bears witness in Athens to both philosophers and idolaters. By his observations of the life of the city, Paul sees the way these Gentiles have in their own way searched for God, groped after God (17:27) and he offers an alternative answer to their search. He tells them that the God they see in the world around them has made himself known in the resurrection of the man who is also appointed to judge the world in righteousness (17:31). Luke's account of Paul's witness guides us in our call to be witness to the resurrection (1:8).

Dr. Jo-Ann Badley

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

Image Courtesy of Unsplash

This past Sunday (Easter 4) we participated in an "embodied prayer practice," namely the Prayer Labyrinth. It was a rich and blessed time together. The Altadore Labyrinth is a portable one, that can be easily set up with a group of friends. If you'd like to borrow it or learn more about it, feel free to reach out to the church office and Nada (she is a longtime "curator" of our Labyrinth). There are also outdoor Labyrinths in the city (ie. FCJ Retreat and Conference Centre, Silver Springs Botanical Gardens). 

See attached our handouts from Sunday's session that include a finger labyrinth so you can do this prayer practice almost anywhere!

One of my favourite quotes from Sunday is shared below. . . I especially love the word "muddle"!

Since the destination is assured, there are no obstacles to overcome, no muddles to figure out, no dead ends to retrace. What remains for the labyrinth walker is simply the deeply meditative and symbolic discipline of setting one foot in front of the other, of honouring the journey itself and what it has to teach. The mind can be stilled and attention paid to the body, the wisdom of the heart, and the graces of being rather than doing.
Melissa Gayle West, “Exploring the Labyrinth”

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

image of paul: Unknown source

We are 18 days into the 50-day Season of Easter and we are still proclaiming "He is Risen!"

This past Sunday (Easter 3) we were galloping alongside Saul in his gleaming chariot (Acts, Chapter 9) just as he got upended by the Spirit and presence of Jesus. Saul is transformed. . . and just as important, so is Ananias (though Saul/Paul's fame would be quite more enduring that Ananias!). 

I invited us to walk the way of Saul this week. . . open to the marvels and the surprises of how God loves and finds a way to reach those who seem "un-reachable." Be encouraged because God loves the world (John 3:16) and God gets what God wants!

My other invitation was to encourage us to walk the way of Ananias this week. The Spirit of Jesus is always wanting to expand the boundaries of the dream/kingdom of God. And God chooses to use US as the people who will enter places where people need to encounter of the love, kindness, hospitality and welcome of Jesus. We, like Ananias, might say: "Really God? Are you sure you didn't get your wires crossed?" And the Spirit of Jesus gently replies to us and says: "Go. . . this is a matter of my choosing, and my restoration."

May God's Empowering Presence grant us courage and strength for the journey in these days of Easter.

Here are words of inspiration that may encourage us along the way:

Jesus will have no hierarchies,
no separations or divisions,
not even between us and him.
“Call no one good but God.”
There are no greater and lesser,
no servants and masters,
no insiders and outsiders.
Not even believers and unbelievers.
Only friends, peers, siblings, companions.
Every stranger is a sibling.
Every person you meet is a friend
for whom you would lay down your life.
There is no “them.” There is only us.
In the love of Christ, befriend this world
and everyone in it;
you will never be alone.
— Steve Garnaas-Holmes, “Friends”

Solidarity Sunday Reflection

This past Sunday, in addition to hearing from our own Marilyn & Wilf about their volunteering with Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids, we joined together with Baptist churches across Canada to celebrate Solidarity Sunday. We heard from Jennifer Lau, CBM Executive Director on the theme "Walking Together in Unity" based on Ephesians 4:25-32, as well as workers in Asia and Latin America. To access the resources we utilized, including a couple of songs from Common Place Worship (CBM & Vennture), please visit: https://www.cbmin.org/resource/solidarity-sunday-2026/

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

The 50-day Season of Easter is here! This past Sunday (Easter Sunday) I encouraged us to run alongside Mary and be a "I have seen the Lord" kind of people. Look for places of resurrection. . . in your homes, in your yards, in your neighbourhoods. . . and know that Jesus is present in those places of new life and new creation. During our Church Service on April 19, I'll invite a few of us to share "resurrection stories" as we encourage each other with the presence of a living Christ in our midst. 

resurrection © andre kamba luesa

And as we continue our journey in this first week of Easter, see attached (or linked here) images and prayers that might encourage and inspire:

--The picture of the Resurrection as portrayed by the Congolese artist Andre Kamba Luesa. The Risen Christ bounds with joy and victory over the chaos and the darkness of the valley, using his cross like a pole-vault! The son of God rises with the sun . . . with the glowing orb enlightening Christ's countenance.

--Carry these Easter prayers that we prayed together on Easter Sunday. May they encourage and enlighten us.

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

We're in the final days of Lent and this past Sunday (Lent 6, aka Palm Sunday) we listened to the story of John 12:12-26, and joined the crowd that bustled alongside Jesus. And I invited us to put ourselves alongside the "seekers" of the crowd who asked: "We wish to see Jesus." 
And during our reflection time, I encouraged us to ponder anew, our position alongside Christ as we walk through Holy Week enroute to Good Friday.
A few directions for us to go with our reflections and prayers:
1) The way of New Life. . . what feels like it's dying or fading away in your life. . . can you see glimpses of new life arising?
2) The way of Relationship. . . Embrace the good news that Jesus is familiar with suffering and grief and if you are in a season of struggle and strain. . . Jesus abides with you through the challenges that lay ahead.
3) The way of Follower-ship. . .renew your call to follow Jesus. He doesn't promise us a care-free pathway, but his promise to us is deep, lasting life, here and now (John 10:10) and the certainty that we are never alone. Jesus says: "No one will snatch them (my sheep) out of my hand" (John 10:28).
I hope you have some time for silence this week so that you might ponder these thoughts.
A prayer for silence that I prayed on Sunday goes like this:
"God of Compassion,
in silence. . . 
may we learn to sit with you
and know that it is enough to know you
and be known by you
and know ourselves."

*See attached here, the Sunday prayer sheet, containing a THOMAS MERTON Prayer and a PALM SUNDAY prayer to carry into Holy Week

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

We had a creative and lively time of learning when we learned (or re-learned) the spiritual practice of "Visio Divina" this past Sunday (March 22).

Thanks to all who participated and thanks to Lara for bringing "real, living" clay for us and reminding us that clay is made up of all the elements of the universe (and we hold it right in the palm of our hand!). Wow!  Download via the button below, the handout that we used plus the picture named "Jesus in Gethsemane" by He Qi. Remember, this is a practice that you can do with any piece of art that draws you in. . . you can use an art piece/picture as a way to see, hear and sense from God. . . and then allow yourself to be encouraged and then sent forth into the world to be a blessing.

Here's a couple of pictures of the creativity that was emerging in our midst. Thanks be to God, for the Spirit of creativity that abides in us, for we are God's beloved "created ones."

Jesus praying in gethsemane © he qi

ALTADORE CHURCH TABLE CHURCH PHOTOS, MARCH 22/26, PHOTOS: LARA PETERS

Guest Speaker Reflection

In a world where justice is withheld from so many and where truth is so often obscured, the scene of Jesus standing before Pilate (or does Pilate stand before Jesus?) shines a bright light upon an alternative path for those who belong to God’s kingdom.

While earthly authorities govern out of fear and self-interest, Jesus, the King of Glory, leads God’s people on with his self-sacrifice and by his life-giving word and liberating truth.

There is a kingdom that is “not of this world”—but very present nonetheless—that we can enter today if we truly listen to the voice of Jesus.

Jonathan Lo, PhD

Guest Speaker Reflection

Elijah in the desert of horeb by william brassey hole

It's common to fixate on the spectacular moments in the Bible and think that, if we're good Christians, that's what we should expect. Moses at the fiery bush and dividing the sea. Elijah calling down fire and later ascending a flying chariot. We elevate the amazing and the successful, and lose heart when being good is such a grind. But we need to look closer. Just as Moses learned not to try to repeat a miracle, Elijah learned that "the Lord was not in the fire," but in the whisper (1 Kings 19). Yes, God can and does do incredible, unexpected things, but God's regular mode of operation is to patiently work through normal people faithfully doing mundane things – and that's what connects us to the people of the Bible (according to Hebrews 11:39-40). 

Dr. Jon Coutts

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

LENT AT ALTADORE CHURCH, C 2022

This past Sunday, on Lent 2, we listened to and learned of the 7th and final sign of Jesus in the gospel of John. It's a story that then leads into Jesus' journey to the cross. It's a story of resurrection where Jesus is faced with his mortality and the mortality of all humanity. And his response is to weep. . . to lament alongside his best friends.

But the story of Lazarus' death, will not at this point, end in death!
When Jesus is around. . . when Jesus abides with us, dead and dark spaces don't stay dead!
Jesus says: "I AM. . . the resurrection and the life."

I encouraged us to pause. . . and sit with. . . the dark spaces and dimly lit spaces in our lives.
Those places where we cry out to the Lord and say: "If only you were here, Jesus, it wouldn't have happened!"

The promise in this story from John 11 is that Jesus abides with us. 
And he longs to bring life and light into our dark and dimly-lit spaces.

May the prayer below, be a way for us to pray and sense Jesus' presence, in the midst of these somber and sometimes dark days of the Lenten journey:

Lord Jesus
Sometimes it feels like you are so far away
And for some reason. . . delaying your arrival

We become anxious, perhaps even angry
We’re hurt. . . and can’t believe you would do this to us.

So we stand alongside Martha and Mary
And we seek to live into and out of today’s story. . .

Help us see.

Help us trust.

Companion with us

And if need be. . . weep with us.

And as we journey with you
in these Lenten days. . .

May we receive. . . and live out for others
Your compassion, your consolation,
Your light, your love and your tender mercy.
Amen. 

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

And so. . . we have entered into the Season of Lent. This past Sunday at Table Church we shared in the ashes and reflected on our journey in these early days of Lent. I reminded us that Lent is, in terms of time, an opportunity for us to "tithe" one-tenth of our year to a more somber reflection on our journey of faith as we walk the path of sorrow and sadness with our Lord. But, remember too, that every Sunday in the season of Lent is a "Mini-Easter" where we take a sabbath day from our Lenten fast or spiritual practice and rest in the goodness and grace of Jesus!

Some other things to consider:

--If you weren't at church this past Sunday, see the bulletin attached that we used to pray our way through our imposition of ashes and Lenten prayers.

--We also reflected on Psalm 27. . . and we wrote down what our "one thing" was that was percolating in our hearts in these early days of Lent (see the bookmark attached).

--Another great quote that reminds us that Lent is about GROWTH & GRACE versus making ourselves "good enough" for God. This quote is from the Christian writer and historian, Diana Butler Bass. She writes:

"Lent tempts Christians to try to fulfill other people’s expectations of what spirituality should look like, usually related to some sort of religious achievement or self-mortification. But Lent is neither success nor punishment. Ultimately, Lent urges us to let go of self-deception and pleasing others. These 40 days ask only one thing of us: to find our truest selves on a journey toward God. . . . Lent embraces our humanity – our deepest fears, our doubts, our mistakes and sins, our grief, and our pain. Lent is also about joy, self-discovery, connecting with others, and doing justice. Lent is not morbid church services. It is about being fully human and knowing God’s presence in the crosshairs of blessing and bane. And it is about waiting, waiting in those crosshairs, for resurrection."

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

Our final Sunday in the Season of Epiphany was an en-lightened one! Our verse of the week, to carry in our hearts, is Jesus declaring that he is indeed the Light of the World (John 8:12). And then we spent time in another "greatest hits" story from the gospel of John. .  . the story of the "newly sighted man" who becomes an energetic, enthusiastic, and shall we say, joy-full, laughing disciple as well.

I encouraged us to practice an embodied spiritual practice this week -- whenever you are needing a bit of a refreshing moment. . . rub your eyes. . . and as you are opening your eyes, stand alongside the newly sighted man and say a prayer like: "Oh Lord, open the eyes of my heart, to fresh vision, insights and inspirations!"

And. . . during my closing words on Sunday, I shared a prayer from the black, activist, social-justice inclined preacher, Howard Thurman. His reflection piece entitled "The Work of Christmas" is included in today's email or you can read the reading "here." May we, at Altadore Church, continue to be a people who "bring peace. . . and make music in our hearts."

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

Table Church was fun and full of good and earnest conversation this past Sunday (Feb. 8). Thanks to all who participated as we learned about the story of God and how to read our Bibles with wisdom and insight. I hope that we might continue to reflect on:

--Reading the Bible in 5 "Acts": Creation, Rebellion, the P.O.G. (people of God, Israel), Jesus, the N.P.O.G. (new people of God)
--How the Bible is God's story of Love
--How the Bible is a story of goodness, justice, mercy and compassion
--The repeating theme in the "Jesus Story Book Bible," where Sally Lloyd Jones reminds us that "God rescues us, no matter what. . . because of God's Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love."
--How God is always forming and calling to Godself a people! Us! And inviting us to grow, mature, bear the fruit of the Spirit and TO BE A BLESSING TO ALL THE NATIONS! 

**If you'd like to read Eugene Peterson's explanation about the Bible in 5 Acts, the PDF is attached at the following button.

**And I shared a song called "Sweeter Word" by Nick Chambers, you can watch and listen to the Lyric Video here:

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

This past Sunday (Epiphany 4) we spent time in another one of the "greatest hits" stories of the gospel of John. We talked of how the unnamed, woman at the well, of John chapter 4 was the first and most energetic evangelist of the gospel of John! She encountered the "boundary and barrier breaking" Jesus and her life was never the same. She ran back to her city of 3500 people and told the good news of Jesus and the whole city listened and was enthralled by her message. And so I invited us to ponder our vocation as evangelists.

I encouraged us to ponder anew our movements and postures as evangelists. If this unnamed, marginalized, non-spectacular woman could be Jesus' first evangelist, then there is hope and optimism for ALL of us. 

Three words to keep on pondering as your week unfolds:

NOTICE: What's so interesting about Jesus?

SHARE: Take your Jesus "notice" and share it with someone. . . how might your Jesus story find a place in their story?

INVITE: As this woman in John 4 did. . . we can invite people to "Come and See!" An invitation. . . not an obligation or order.

Who might be placed in your path this week. . . who may have an inclination or a curiosity to "Come and See" and learn more about this intriguing Jesus character who we follow and learn from? Don't force it! Simply pay attention to how God and the Spirit may be moving in our lives this week.

PS: Here are  interesting comments we shared together on Sunday, when I asked the question: "What's so fascinating and intriguing about Jesus?"

--his openness
--his willingness to break rules and boundaries, to forego tradition
--no judgement, no pressure!
--his humility
--his desire to meet us, one to one.  . with no shame, no judgment
--the intimacy and care of Jesus
--Jesus knows us. . . and longs to be with us and near us!

Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

We continue in the 42-day season of Epiphany and it was another great day as we gathered in the "house of the Lord" this past Sunday (Jan. 18).

We re-heard that familiar story of Jesus turning the water into wine. I reminded us to ponder the reality that Jesus was only 30 years old when he performed his first miracle, quite a youngster when you think of it in the big picture of our life journeys (funny note to ponder: what were you doing with your life when you were 30?) It was also fun to think about Jesus' relationship with his mother. . . I feel like it was thoughtful and endearing . . . and in the gospel of John, it's Jesus' mother who jumpstarts his public ministry! Wow!

And the closing reflection and questions I encouraged us to press into this week, is related to the attached poem/prayer from Jan Richardson.

Richardson invites us to keep ourselves open to "surprising gifts". . . she describes them as the “sharp, sweet wine that God is conniving to bring.”

She also invites us to pay attention to:

i) the wonders at hand (the beauty and graces of the present moment)

ii) be a part of the miracles yet to come (what might it look like for us to participate in or facilitate a miracle of goodness and generosity in the world this week?)

iii) the unexpected delights we might encounter along the way (resonates with Psalm 37 -- "delight yourself in the Lord and God will give you the desires of your heart).

May the God of Epiphany continue to reveal, encourage and delight this week!

Rev. Ryan's Reflection of the Week

This past Sunday (Jan. 4) we "fused" together the Christian Calendar seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. It was the 11th day of Christmas and we sought to remember 11 Lords a Leaping (the worship was lively!) and we also turned our hearts and attention to the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is the Christian Calendar Season (this year it's 42 days) where we worship and watch... and see/sense what God might be revealing anew to us in our journey of following Jesus.

On Sunday, I encouraged us to reflect on the life of Nathanael (John 1:47) and specifically Nathanael's "epiphany" when he declares: "RABBI, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" I encouraged us to reflect on which of the 3 images resonates with you and your journey of following Jesus. ...are you enjoying Jesus as: i) teacher/mentor? ii) the humble son who has been born in a manger and yet is the great "reveal" of God? iii) or are you enjoying the presence of a God who reigns and rules, in the midst of a world that often feels like it's out of control or without hope.  May one... or all 3 of those images encourage our hearts this week!

Plus...  we also shared in Sarah Bessey's prayer "Open the Door: A Prayer for Welcoming a New Year." Download the prayer below or you can request a copy from the church office.

pastor@altadorechurch.com

Rev. Ryan's Reflection of the Week for Christmas

REV. RYAN'S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS

--Just one more sleep till Christmas and if you were in Church this past Sunday (Advent 4) then you joined in on the "Prayer for Love" by Kate Bowler. We've also attached it in today's newsletter. One of my favourite phrases from this prayer that I'm carrying this week is as follows:

"God, we are waiting for love, 
not the simple kind or the sweep-you-off-your-feet
       kind,
but the absurd kind.      

The kind wrapped in rags,
resting in a bucket of animal feed.
Love enough to save us all."

 --And. . . this past Sunday, we used the First Nations Version of the Bible as our Bible Translation. The FNV is an Indigenous language translation that has been a refreshing way for me to read my Bible. . . it's inspiring and thought-provoking. . . just like Eugene Peterson's "The Message" translation that was released 30 years ago. I would encourage you to consider buying a FNV (New Testament) or you can find it online at www.bible.com.

--One more Advent reading that can carry us into the season of Christmas (remember, the season of Christmas has 12 days to celebrate the arrival of Christ!).

This simple poem has emboldened my heart and inspired me for several years in my "journey to Christmas":

"Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light,
And usher in the morning:
Ye shepherds, shrink not with affright,
But hear the angel's warning.
This child, this little helpless boy,
Shall be our confidence and joy.
The powers of hell o'erthrowing,
At last our peace bestowing."
(Johann Rist, Seventeenth century)

pastor@altadorechurch.com

Rev. Ryan's Reflection of the Week

What a delightful sunday of worship and feasting we enjoyed together on Advent 3!

And now we are reflecting on the theme of JOY this week. . . here are some thoughts to encourage us and inspire us on the way.

--The Prayer of Hope (Yes. . .  And) that we prayed together on Sunday is such a gritty, realistic and yet "percolating with joy" kind of prayer. See the prayer attached in this newsletter. The closing stanza is good for us to reflect on . .  in the wake of my exhortation for us to be "joy-restorers" in those places that we are working or socializing in this week.

"Make me capable of great joy,
great love,
great risk,
great fear,
as you expand my heart. . . "

What I am reminded of with this prayer is that it is God who leads and empowers us. . we are not left to do "joy-restoring" work in our own strength. May the joy of the Lord be our strength.

 --And I offer this "point to ponder" on the legend of dear St. Nick. I'm reflecting on this thoughtful quote about the "real presence" of Santa Claus and how seeing many Santa Claus appearances in the days ahead, may point us to the worship of our Lord. . . read the quote below from Gertrud Mueller Nelson:

 "I don’t want to get rid of Santa Claus. But I think that we need to give our Santa Claus, who has evolved out of a very ancient Saint Nicholas, a closer examination. A myth is an exceptionally difficult thing to kill, for it continues to be devastatingly revealing even when we have tampered with it and changed its form by our rationalizations or our moralistic applications.  A figure who can endure with such tenacity ever since the fourth century, and with a stunning continuity of legends and similarity of iconographic representations in so many countries, has got to be real. He may well be the most popular saint the world has ever known, whether he was ever real in history or not. His legends cannot be brushed aside as 'mere' myths because they live on into the present and refuse to die while stories in history, on the other hand, deal with what is dead and passed. Santa Claus is the father figure we all dream about and share in our collective unconscious. He is a 'type' of God the father, primal and powerful and, yes, real."

Rev. Ryan's Reflection of the Week

This week we're seeking to live out the PEACE of Advent. . . 

 i) This past Sunday's worship service for Advent 2 was certainly an encouraging one! I’m so grateful for all who led and participated to make the day a blessed one. 

We journeyed with Ezekiel in the fascinating story of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37. What a challenging life that Ezekiel endured as he tried to encourage the people of God in their time of Exile. But the Good News is that again. . . when we think the people of God have gone too far and have dislocated themselves beyond the kindness and mercy of God. . . God promises to show up! Our "verse of the week" to carry in our hearts is an encouraging one if you are feeling like a weary pilgrim on the journey in these advent days:

“I will breathe MY life into you and you shall live,
and I will place you on your own soil;
then you shall know that I,
the LORD, have spoken and will act.” (Ezekiel 37:14)

 ii) If you'd like to journey along with the Kate Bowler Advent Devotional that we are recommending this year, it's not too late to start. See the info in previous sections of today's Newsletter. Our Kate Bowler Advent "prayer of the week" alongside the theme of Peace. . . goes like so:

"Spirit of the Living God. . . BLESSED ARE WE. . . 
remembering that you hold all things together.
You are the invisible scaffolding that supports us,
The canopy of love that covers us in the present,
The stable pillars, sunk deep in our past,
And the sparrow that flies confidently toward the future. . .
Bearing for us the PEACE we could never have attained for ourselves."

iii) And I'm challenged by this Martin Luther King quote:

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” 
The peace that God provides for us, is not a blessing that we are keep for ourselves. . . but a peace that we are encouraged to share in ways that provide peace, justice and mercy for all. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.